Small Business Advocacy

Why Small Business IS a Local & National Economic Stimulus

February 1, 2018 By Jan Triplett 1 Comment

Texas is big on small business

The most current LMCI numbers from Texas Workforce Commission for small business ownership in the Austin – Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area or MSA (which actually goes from Georgetown to San Marcos) are encouraging. As of the latest data (December 2017), there were over 47,800 firms. Of these these micro businesses, businesses under 20 employees, represent more than 41,000 firms (about a 1/3 more than the 2009 number of 29,500 firms discussed in this original post) and the number continues to grow. (BTW, there are currently only 232 firms with over 500 employees in this same area.)

This is not unusual. When people get laid off sometimes their only option is to create a job for themselves by starting a business. And the Austin area has been extremely supportive of this. As a matter of fact, it has been used as a major way we have been able to work ourselves out of recessions – nine that I know of since we started in 1982. [Read more…]

Sales and Use Tax Could Be Your Nemesis

January 7, 2014 By Daniel Diener Leave a Comment

Sign of the times for buyers & sellers. Photo by 401(K) 2013

Sales and use tax is not logical and it can’t be ignored. It’s tough to understand, hard to follow, and frustrating at the least.

According to a recent Fred Pryor seminar, when you charge sales tax, you aren’t taxing the property or service itself, but the retailing of it. Use taxes are complimentary or supplemental to sales tax and are designed to help the state get all the taxes due for the storage, use or consumption of goods or services in a state. They are used to help prevent tax evasion by those who make out-of-state purchases, level the playing field between in-state and out of state sellers, and to deal with transfers or sales of property or used equipment between division or subsidiaries. Use taxes are usually remitted by the buyer. [Read more…]

Customer Loyalty: Who Do Your Customers Really Belong To?

November 7, 2012 By Jan Triplett Leave a Comment

Silly sign — don’t look too closely. Does this apply to customers? Photo by quinn.anya from flickr.com

In business, we talk about the importance of customer loyalty. But we consider customers as assets, something tangible. We think of them in the same way as our equipment or property: something that can be counted, weighed and measured, and given a value.

As property, an owner understandably feels, that they belong to the company. [Read more…]

Texas Workforce Unemployment Claims Hearing Preparations

July 26, 2012 By Daniel Diener 1 Comment

Texas Workforce Hearing preparations can save your business and make you a better business.

Not only is a Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Unemployment Claims Hearing not something to fear but it’s something to expect — even if you do everything right. If you have employees, you will get audited. It’s just a matter of time. In some ways that’s good because it says that someone is watching. [Read more…]

My cat gets better care than people do

February 9, 2010 By Jan Triplett 3 Comments

Wikipedia-Caduceus If my cat is sick. I take her to Dr. Roy Brenton Smith, at Central Texas Cat Hospital. He’s great and used to host weekly sessions where vets shared information on tough cases.

If he needs a specialist, he calls one or gets me into the wonderful folks at Texas A&M Veterinary Hospital. They have served more than 2500 vet referrals from 164 of Texas’s 254 counties and 31 of the 50 United States .

When it comes to cat care, I know everyone is in touch with each other. I don’t have pet insurance but I know that they will care for her. They won’t “pass the buck”. [Read more…]